1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to mechanical toys and more particulary to a novel combined toy vehicle track having an elevated tortuous path over which a gravity operated rolling toy vehicle travels.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
In the past, small toy vehicles have become extremely popular and these vehicles are usually employed in combination with joined track sections that allow various track layouts to be constructed. A very popular form of toy vehicle is a scaled automobile having a metal body which rides on freely rotatable wheels along the path provided by the track. Usually the track employs siderails or channel-shaped flanges for the purpose of guiding the toy vehicle along the running surface.
Problems and difficulties have been encountered when employing conventional mechanical toys which stem largely from the fact that construction of the track layout is extremely limited to linear runs of track, helical deployment of track and simple curvatures. The limited construction is due in part to the fact that no means are provided for height adjustment or track angle deployment. Such considerations are necessary when the toy vehicle is intended to be gravity operated wherein centrifugal force is used to advantage in propelling the toy vehicle along the course of the track.
Other problems have been encountered in gravity operated toys that reside in guiding the vehicle so that it does not leave the track during its travel and yet will not create drag or sufficient friction to obviate gravity operation. Conventional guide means for toy vehicles are generally concerned with lateral maintenance of the toy vehicle on the track. In the few instances, vertical guiding is provided which takes the form of deflection arms or the like that project over the track and are intended to be engaged by the roof of the toy vehicle during its travel along the path. In both of these instances, the guide means are carried on the track and the toy vehicle is void of any construction which engages the track other than its rollable wheels.
Therefore, a long standing need has existed to provide a mechanical toy having a track layout constructed of a plurality of joined track sections that may be readily adjusted in height and angled orientation so as to provide a tortuous path of travel for the toy vehicle. Also, guide means are preferably employed on the vehicle per se so that the track layout may be arranged to any desired configuration without concern over projections or other conventional guides which would encumber or become ineffective for gravity operated vehicles. The combination of small toy vehicles with freely rotatable wheels and adaptable track sections make for extremely exciting toy vehicle systems particularly when the user is provided with the capability of a variety of track layout and the like. Such additions as curves, loops, starting gates, finishing gates, lap counters or the like may be added to the track layout. In order to increase the excitement and to offer greater versatility to imaginative children, the use of gravity vehicles and adjustable track layout provides a novel and unusual mechanical toy. To be successful, however, each element of the vehicle and layout system must be simply constructed so as to inexpensively permit manufacture of the system so as to allow for mass marketing at a reasonable cost.